LN13

TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

A.D. KINNEAR

In organisational communication, reports are the most important channel for upward
communication. They describe or explain specific issues and events in the
organisation and offer solutions to problems.

Every qualified worker must know how to write reports. Reports may be general,
technical, project and numerous other reports.

A written report is permanent record. It is important that a permanent record is

kept (e.g., on installations, equipment specifications, safety issues, and so on) so
that points of reference can be easily identified. A previous report may provide
important information when considering a current issue or event.

Reports are submitted as quickly as possible possible before the issue or event being
reported on becomes unnecessary or irrelevant to report on. Management is better
informed to quickly take the necessary proactive, preventative or reparative action
regarding the particular issue or event. Report recommendations are considered for
addition to policy, processes, procedures, guidelines and plans of the organisation.

General and Technical Report Format

Various types of report are used to highlight technical issues and events in
the workplace. Examples include feasibility, design, upgrade, staff, incident,
maintenance, specification, accident, fault, damage, requirements, test,
reports. All these follow the same basic report format.

In every report, there are three main parts: introduction, body and conclusion.
Before these there may be a title or title page, preface, acknowledgements,
contents, abstract and/or terms of reference. Recommendations, appendices,
glossary, references and an index may follow after the conclusion.
The report is written on one side of the A4 paper. Each page must have default
(one inch or 2.5 cm) margins with a page number indicated.

1. Title Page
The title page, if well done, makes the report presentable at first glance. It acts as
the jacket of the document to protect the text and improves the permanence of the
work. Furthermore, it provides vital information as to which organisation the report
belongs, the title of the report, its author, his/her name and rank and the date. These
details are centered on the page.

ORGANISATION

A REPORT ON… (in bold

and centered vertically and
horizontally on the page)

NAME

RANK

DATE

(Use this generic title page format in your academic assignments as well)
Report Title
The title of the report must be in bold type and vertically towards the center of the
page. “First impressions last”. Therefore, the title page must be neat and well
phrased.
The report title should begin with “A Report on …”.

Sections of a Report
The following are the basic sections of a report. Each section of the report is
numbered 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and so on.

2. Terms of Reference
This is a brief sentence or two indicating why the report was written. For example,
“This report examines the causes of the accident that occurred in the workshop on
20 March, 2004, as required by the Production Manager”.

3. Introduction
The title of this section is written as “Introduction”. The ‘intro’ usually consists of a
few sentences. It should briefly outline all major points raised in the body of the
report. A topic outline should make it easier to write the introduction. For instance,
“This report identifies various measures to be taken to ensure safety in the
factory”.

The intro should be concrete and concise and should rarely exceed 3 to 5
sentences. The topic sentence the first sentence, or second if the first is used to
provide context.

4. The Body
The body of the report contains details of the main topic. As far as possible, it
should mention the 5Ws and H, i.e. What, Who, Where, When, How and Why.

The title of the body must inform the reader what the report is really about, ie. the
topic. It reflects what type of report it is. For example, “Improving Safety in the
Workshop”, “Fire at Ndola Branch Factory”, “Equipment Damage from the Recent
Fire”, “Faulty Drilling Machine at Shaft 2”, “Recent Supply of Unreliable
Components”, “Injury to Personnel at the Company Workshop”, and so on.
Note: The title of the body must follow the title of the report on the title page.

Correct numbering of the main sub-headings and sub sub-headings in the body is
essential for a well written report. The sub-headings may be numbered as 2.1,
2.2, etc, while the sub sub-headings may be labeled as 2.1.1, 2.1.2, and so on.
Numbering for the various levels of headings is aligned using the TAB button on
your keyboard.

The body of a report is subdivided into the body into ‘Method’ and ‘Findings’
sub-sections.

5. The Conclusion
The conclusion is usually a summary of what is contained in the body of the report.
It also frequently includes the writers own opinion of what is discussed in-text. The
writer’s recommendations are mentioned in the conclusion. In other instances,
recommendations may fall under their own sub-heading in the body. The
conclusion must be brief, never longer than a few sentences.

6. Example of a Well-numbered Report

Before the introduction there may be a preface, acknowledgements, contents, terms
of reference and extract. After the conclusion, recommendations, appendices,
attribution (bibliography), glossary and index may follow.
A report, unlike a letter, is neither addressed nor signed. It is simply presented to
those who have requested it.

Title case (as opposed to sentence case) is used for titles and sub-titles. That is,
the first letter in the title and the first letter of every noun is capitalised. Titles are
in bold type (not underlined). Note the three levels of headings. Further
subdivision may be bulleted.

The topic outline overleaf shows the generic structure of a report.

TITLE (on title page)

1.0 INTRODUCTION
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2.0 CAUSES OF THE RECENT FIRE IN THE WORKSHOP
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2.1 METHOD
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2.2 FINDINGS
2.2.1 Unsafe Equipment
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2.2.2 Poor Wiring
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2.2.3 Lack of Circuit Protection Devices
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2.2.3.1 Isolators
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2.2.3.2 Fuses
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2.2.3.3 Main Circuit Breakers
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2.2.4 Inadequate Insulation
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2.2.5 Unsafe Environment
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2.2.5.1 Dust and Litter
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2.2.5.2 Diesel Spillages
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2.2.6 Unsafe Work Practice
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2.2.6.1 Alertness and Attention
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2.2.6.2 Carelessness
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2.2.6.3 Lack of Understanding of Working Procedures
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2.2.7 Poor Safety Management
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3.0 CONCLUSION
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